prednisolone acetate
Prednisolone eye drops is a type of steroid eye drop. It helps treat eye inflammation in adults and children. The medication helps relieve symptoms like itchy eye, eye redness, and swelling in the eye. Prednisolone eye drops come as a generic as well as brand names like Pred Forte and Pred Mild. This eye drop is usually used in the affected eye(s) 2 to 4 times a day. Side effects can include temporary burning and stinging in the eye when you put the drops in.
What is Prednisolone eye drops?
What is Prednisolone eye drops used for?
How Prednisolone eye drops works
Prednisolone eye drops are a type of corticosteroid, also called steroids. The medication works by lowering certain inflammatory chemicals in the body. When used in the eye, it helps lessen eye inflammation. This relieves symptoms like eye itching, redness, swelling, and pain.
Drug facts
Side effects of Prednisolone eye drops
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Temporary burning or stinging in the eye
- Feeling like there's something in your eye
Less Common Side Effects
- Eye pain
- Headache
- Other eye irritation
- Blurry vision
- Changes in taste
Prednisolone eye drops serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Allergic reaction: trouble breathing; swelling in your face, lips, mouth, or throat; severe swelling around the eyes; rash; hives
The following Prednisolone eye drops side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:
Less common or rare
Decreased vision
gradual blurring or loss of vision
vomiting
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
More common
Blurred vision (mild and temporary, occurs after use of ointments)
Less common or rare
Burning, stinging, redness, or watering of the eyes
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Prednisolone eye drops
Pros
- Few side effects
- Approved for both adults and children
Cons
- Might have to use the eye drops up to 4 times a day
- Some formulations contain sulfite, so not a good option for people with a sulfite allergy
Pharmacist tips for Prednisolone eye drops
- Wash your hands before using prednisolone eye drops. Be careful not to let the bottle tip touch your eyelid or to other surfaces. This helps avoid contamination and possible eye infection.
- Before each time you use prednisolone eye drops, shake the bottle well. This makes sure the medication is mixed well for your dose.
- Take out any contact lenses before using prednisolone eye drops. This medication contains a preservative that can get onto the contacts and damage them. Wait 15 minutes after using eye drops if you decide to put your contacts back in.
- To use the prednisolone eye drops, tilt your head back and gently pull down your lower eyelid. Hold the bottle upside down so the tip is right above your eye. Squeeze a drop of medication into the eye. Then, close your eye and lightly press the inside corner of your eye about a minute. Repeat in the other eye if needed.
- If you need to use more than one drop of prednisolone in the same eye, wait a few minutes between each drop. This helps your eye fully absorb each drop.
- If you need to use other eye drops along with prednisolone, also wait a few minutes between them. This helps your eye absorb each medication better.
- You might feel slight burning or stinging in the eye after you use prednisolone eye drops. This should go away within a few minutes.
- Tell your prescriber if any eye swelling, pain, or other eye symptoms get worse or last more than 2 days while using prednisolone eye drops. Your prescriber can check what's going on and decide if you need something else to help.
- Be sure to use prednisolone eye drops for the full time your prescriber tells you. This helps treat your eye inflammation properly. If you need to use the drops for a long time, your prescriber might suggest regular eye exams. This is because using prednisolone eye drops can raise the risk of certain eye problems, like higher eye pressure.
- Tell your prescriber if you become pregnant while using prednisolone eye drops. There isn't enough information to know if the medication is safe during pregnancy. Your prescriber can help explain the risks and benefits and choose the safest option for you.
- Store the bottle of prednisolone eye drops upright at room temperature. Don't put it in the refrigerator or let it freeze.
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Common questions about Prednisolone eye drops
Risks and warnings for Prednisolone eye drops
Prednisolone eye drops can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk of eye infection when used for a long time
- Risk factors: Long-term use | History of viral eye infections (including herpes simplex of the eye) | Untreated eye infection
Using prednisolone eye drops for a long time can raise the risk of eye infections. It can also make current eye infections worse. Before starting this medication, tell your prescriber if you have an eye infection, such as a herpes infection in the eye. You shouldn't use these drops until the eye infection is treated.
Get medical care if you have more eye pain, redness, discharge, blurry vision, swelling, or itchy or burning eyes. These can be signs of an eye infection that needs to be checked out.
Risk of eye problems when used for a long time
- Risk factors: Long-term use | History of glaucoma or cataracts
Using prednisolone eye drops for a long time can raise the risk of eye problems, like thinning of the cornea or cataracts. It might also raise the pressure in the eye, which can lead to glaucoma. These problems can damage the eye and affect your vision.
If you need to use prednisolone eye drops for 10 days or more, you'll need regular eye exams. Your eye specialist will check your eye pressure. Tell your prescriber or eye specialist if you notice vision changes or eye pain while using this medication.
Slow healing of the eye after cataract surgery
Steroid eye drops like prednisolone can slow healing after eye surgery. Tell your prescriber if you recently had cataract surgery or another eye surgery. If you need to use these drops after surgery, follow your prescriber's instructions to help your eye heal properly.
Severe allergic reaction
- Risk factors: Asthma
Some prednisolone eye drops have sodium bisulfite in them. This is a sulfite that can cause allergic reactions in some people. People with asthma might have a higher risk of reacting to sulfites.
These reactions can be mild or very serious. This can include symptoms of anaphylaxis. Get medical help right away if you have signs of an allergic reaction. Watch out for a rash, swelling in the face or throat, tightness in the throat, or trouble breathing.
Prednisolone eye drops dosage
Eye dropper| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5ml of 1% | 1 eye dropper | $17.70 | $17.70 |
| 15ml of 1% | 1 eye dropper | $47.24 | $47.24 |
| 10ml of 1% | 1 eye dropper | $33.96 | $33.96 |
Typical dosage for Prednisolone eye drops
The typical dose is 1 to 2 drops in the affected eye(s) 2 to 4 times daily.
Interactions between Prednisolone eye drops and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
How much does Prednisolone eye drops cost?
Prednisolone eye drops contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Prednisolone eye drops will not be safe for you to take.
- Untreated eye infection
- Allergy to other corticosteroids
What are alternatives to Prednisolone eye drops?
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